Seperate Paths
by Riyu Akari
Summary: A slip of the tongue, words uttered but not meant. A wish granted and destiny takes a different turn. Perhaps Mikan and Natsume never met at the Alice Academy. Perhaps Mikan never did go after Hotaru. Would their paths still cross? NxM
1. Prologue

**I don't watch Gakuen Alice anymore and it's been like a year since my Gakuen Alice fandom. Recently, I discovered this draft I had for this story and I had already planned the entire story out a long time ago and I thought, "Why not write it out?". So forgive me if the characters are a bit out of character because I'm not familiar with the series anymore. All I can remember is that Natsume calls Mikan 'polka dots'. xD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice and I don't want to 'cause I think Higuchi Tachibana's doing a great job already.**

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_What if I didn't choose that very path? _

_What if destiny took a different turn? _

_What if you and me were mere strangers?_

_The two paths that once met have become a forked road. Will we proceed together on the same path or will we lose each other by taking separate paths? Or perhaps by some miracle, will the two paths once again join and lead us back to each other?_

_As the wheel of fate and destiny turns round and round, all we can do is…watch._

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A frail-looking girl with pale blonde locks that had amethyst streaks and bangs that hid her stunning emerald orbs sighed. She looked at her middle school uniform and simply closed her eyes. As she lay on one of the big branches of the Sakura tree, she couldn't help but to be whisked away by her thoughts.

She thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks – it was all so sudden, from her discovery of something unimaginable yet entirely magical that was in her possession since birth to her first step into the strange and foreign world of the Alice Academy.

It was increasingly hard to fit in and she shuddered at the though of having to spend the rest of her schooling years in an academy that was brimming with secrets, mysteries, lies and wonder. To her, her Alice was no gift from the Gods, but merely a cruel twist of fate that had separated her from her family and friends back home.

She had not used her Alice since the day she accidentally discovered it. Thus, she was curious about the outcome if she were to use it again and was willing to use her Alice just to satisfy her curiosity. However, she could only do it if there was a wish, made by someone and she could grant that person whatever their heart desired.

_The Alice to grant wishes. _She pondered the thought of her new found Alice, gently opening her eyes, taking in the breathtaking sight of the falling Sakura petals.

She remembered what her mother had told her before she left for the academy and slowly let her mother's word sink in. _'Nakiri, don't hate your Alice. Accept it for it is a gift, not a curse.'_

Unfortunately, the peace she was trying to attain was soon disrupted by an annoying and loud voice coming from the foot of the tree. She sat up straight on the tree branch and looked down at the source of the voice and found herself looking at a raven-haired boy with cold crimson eyes, who was reading his manga at the foot of the tree.

She recognized him instantly as Natsume Hyuga, for his overwhelming fame had already made its way into her ears during her first few days of school.

She then shifted her gaze from the famous fire-wielder to the real source of the voice – a bubbly pig-tailed girl with chestnut brown hair. The girl was sitting at the opposite side of the foot of the tree. Nakiri, who usually had no interest whatsoever in other people's affairs found herself interested and listened intently to the conversation between the girl and Natsume.

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**Reviews, perhaps?**


	2. Chapter 1 The Wish

**Two updates in a day - I decided that the prologue wasn't enough so I wrote a bit more. ;) Short but the later chapters will be much longer.**

**Chapter 1 – The Wish**

"Morning, Natsume. What are you reading there?" The pigtailed girl asked, as she peered over at the dark-haired boy who was engrossed in his manga.

Natsume seemed to pay no attention to the pigtailed girl but from Nakiri's view, she could see that he was looking at the girl from the corner of his eye. And it was very obvious.

"Nothing." Natsume replied, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"What do you mean nothing? Isn't that a book, right there, in your hands?" The girl persisted, with a puzzled look on her innocent face.

"Just run along, polka dots," snapped Natsume, trying to focus on his manga again.

"You're such a pervert! Stop calling me polka dots!" The girl walked over to the other side of the tree and stood in front of Natsume. She was fuming with rage but after a while, she seemed to have forgotten her anger and a wide smile was plastered on her face.

"Stop smiling like a fool."

"I almost forgot what I was here to say, Natsume. I was going to invite you to come along with me to Central Town. It'll be so much fun! Think of all the Fluff Puffs we could eat!" The girl had ignored Natsume's comment and trailed on and on about Fluff Puffs.

"Why would I want to do that? Do I look like someone who wants to spend his day with a polka-dot panty wearing idiot like you?" Natsume snapped, glaring at the girl.

"Why not? It'll be really fun." The girl said softly, the smile on her face disappearing.

"Just go away before I burn you, idiot! I don't want you here disturbing me." Natsume shot back, his glare becoming even more intense. His voice was filled with impatience.

The girl stood there, sadness evident in her expression. "Why do you keep pushing me away? All I want is for you to enjoy yourself and you just keep throwing all these rude remarks at me. I could just go with Hotaru and Ruka but I still came over here to invite you!" The girl's voice was filled with frustration and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Natsume felt a pang of pain in his heart. It was that same feeling again, the one he always had whenever he pushed those who were close to him away for the same reason over and over again – he wanted to protect them from the darkness that was he. He was used to pushing people away but it was always harder for him to push that pig-tailed idiot away and keep her far from him. He wanted to make it up to her, there were a million things he wanted to say to her but he could never bring himself to do it. And so, he said what he always did. And it pained him to say so.

"Shut up, you idiot. Just go to Central town with your friends. Don't bother me."

The tears betrayed her, streaming down her rosy cheeks. She couldn't hold it back anymore as words she did not mean began to escape her lips.

"Fine! If that's how you feel, I won't bother you anymore! You know, sometimes, sometimes, I wish…" She felt a huge lump in her throat but she didn't stop. "I wish I never came to this academy in the first place! Then I wouldn't have to meet you!" She said it and there was no taking it back. She turned on her heels and wiped away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks as she walked away.

Natsume didn't go after her. All he did was stare at her back, slowly leaving him. _Mikan, I'm sorry._ Another silent apology. He clenched his fists. One day he would say it to her and not just keep it in his thoughts like he always did.

'_I wish I never came to this academy in the first place! Then I wouldn't have to meet you!'_ Nakiri had heard it all and those last words rang in her ears. A smile slowly crept up Nakiri's porcelain-like features. It was a smile that was neither evil nor kind, but instead a smile that had a certain aura of enigma and satisfaction.

"Be careful what you wish for, little girl…"

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**Reviews much appreciated**.


	3. Chapter 2 The Two Realities

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice but I do wish I owned Natsume.**

**Chapter 2 – The Two Realities**

_The wheels of destiny and fate came to an abrupt halt. Slowly, but surely, it begins turn the other way around._

_And that's when it all began._

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Nakiri jumped off the branch lithely. Everything had stopped. It was silent, there was no movement, not even the sound of the rustling Sakura petals lingered. The Sakura petals that were falling had stayed motionless in mid air. The footsteps and various sounds coming from all over the academy had ceased.

Nakiri stood at the foot of tree, looking at the motionless body of Natsume. He was still in the same position he was when it all started, when she granted the wish, with his manga in his hands.

_So it seems like I'm the only one who can move._ Nakiri mused, looking at her surroundings. It was like a movie that had just been paused. It seemed like her Alice was stronger than she expected. She began to comprehend the situation. It looks like she did grant the pig-tailed girl's wish.

The reality that they were all living in just moments ago had come to a standstill. A pause. Another reality, an alternate one that obeyed the wish of the pig-tailed girl, had just been created and it was like a branch that had branched off on its own.

Nakiri pondered all these slowly. She wondered whether the timezone in the alternate reality was akin to the original one. Perhaps it was years ahead. She could do nothing now to reverse it. It was a power of a wish that caused all these and only a similar power would undo it. She came to a conclusion that the reality that had just come to an abrupt pause could only be resumed if the alternate reality came to an end. All she could do was wait for a wish to end the alternate reality. And if she heard it, be it the her in the alternate reality or the her in the paused reality, she would grant it.

And while waiting, she would just watch.

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Mikan wiped the sweat off her brow, a wide smile framing her face. She had spent a great deal of time in the kitchen preparing her grandpa's favorite dishes but it was worth it – she'd do anything in the world for her grandpa. He was, after all, the only family she had.

She sat patiently by the side as she waited for the stew to be done and her eyes wandered to the fire that was heating the stew up. She looked at the fire, a certain fascination brimming in her. She never knew why but she always felt a sense of déjà vu when she looked at fire. To her, it was never just fire, it had a life of its own and it invoked a sense of familiarity in her.

It was not as though she had any childhood memories, be it sad or joyous, that had anything to do with fire at all. It was just that whenever she looked at fire she would feel the same sense of loss she had felt ever since she was ten. It was like she lacked something important, an important part of herself and a someone. A person. Who he or she was she did not know but the feeling lingered on and at times, her hand would reach out instinctively, as though she was reaching out to someone.

She blamed this sense of loss largely on the departure of her best friend, Hotaru, who had left when she was ten to study in the Alice Academy. Hotaru was a genius and Mikan was well aware of that. It had been five years since Hotaru had left for the academy and Mikan had missed her terribly every passing day. However, it never did occur to her to go after Hotaru, to follow her to the academy.

But she knew Hotaru was not the only thing missing from her life. Something, someone else, was one of the few puzzle pieces left to complete her life. Mikan had wondered whether the sense of déjà vu she felt when looking at fire had anything to do with this but she did not linger on that thought.

_We're both fifteen now. Hotaru should be in the middle school division now…_A foul smell snapped her out of her reverie.

"Oh no! I burnt the stew again-"

"MIKAN WHAT'S THAT SMELL!? Did you burn something again!?"

"Sorry, grandpa! I'll get it all cleaned up soon! Ahhh it's hot!"

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The Sakura was late that year. The Sakura tree was usually quite a sight to behold at that time of the year but the Sakura blossoms were still scarce. However, the tree was still a beautiful place to be at but it was mostly empty. No one ever came near the tree and couples in search of a spot to date never even considered the tree. It was because everyone in the Alice Academy knew the tree was his spot. Natsume Hyuga's spot. Although Natsume had never made an official claim on the tree, the other students of the Alice Academy stayed away from it. None had any intention of angering the fire-wielder for his Alice were classified as one of the most dangerous and powerful Alices in the whole academy.

A boy with charcoal black hair lay at the foot of the tree. Natsume was at his spot, reading his manga as usual. And as though there was someone approaching, he placed his manga down and looked behind him. No one. Yet again. There was a hint of frustration visible in his deep, crimson eyes and he cursed silently under his breath.

He knew very well that no one ever came by the tree and he didn't want anyone else from the academy to disturb him when he was at the tree. Yet he often found himself looking behind at the other side of tree, expecting to see someone there.

It was always the same everytime. He'd hear it – the voice that always rang at the far corners of his mind. A cheerful, energetic one, a girl's voice. And subconsciously, he'd turn back and look at the other side of the tree. And the same sense of disappointment and frustration would fill him when he realized there was no one there.

The sound of footsteps betrayed the presence of another. Natsume jerked up. Persona. Natsume smirked wryly. _Of course it's Persona. Who else would it be?_ He thought to himself, silently condemning himself for always expecting another person – the owner of the voice that always played at the edges of his mind.

"A mission, Natsume. Come."

Natsume grunted, stood up and followed suit.

Persona's lips curled up into smile of cruel satisfaction. His favorite student had indeed grown up. Natsume was fifteen years old now. He had grown taller, his shoulders broader and most importantly, he had grown into a fearsome and useful weapon for the academy.

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**A/N: Okay, I realize it could be a bit confusing. So drop a review, ask a question if you like. And I know it's difficult to tell apart the different realities and all. But there are a few main points:**

**a. Nakiri is the only one who can move in the original reality that has come to a standstill. Why? I don't know...YET.**

**b. The alternate reality is five years ahead of the original one. **

**c. Nakiri also exists in the alternate reality and like everyone else, she is five years older.**

**Do drop a review, even a short one will suffice. Thank you =D**


	4. Chapter 3 The Pursuit

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.**

**A/N: This entire chapter takes place in the alternate reality, where everyone is five years older than the original reality. **

**Chapter 3 – The Pursuit**

She pushed her pale blonde tresses behind her ears and sighed. It had been two years since she had graduated from the Academy and yet, her hate for the Academy had never wavered. She hated the Academy with every fiber of her being. The hatred consumed her from within, slowly but surely. She knew it would be the end of her someday. But she never hesitated, not once, as she stepped into the Headquarters of the Anti Alice Organization.

She knew they would want her, despite her weak state. After all, she could grant wishes. But it would take a lot more effort for her to grant a wish now. Maybe even take the very last thing she had in her possession – her life.

Those ruthless years in the Academy had drained her. Her Alice was no longer a wondrous gift – or curse as she preferred to call it – but instead, a ticking time bomb.

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"There is a stone, an Alice stone out there, that the Academy would very much like to acquire, Natsume."

Natsume shifted slightly. He had been working under Persona for years but yet every time Persona's cruel, unfeeling gaze was upon him, something inside him shuddered.

Persona continued. "It is legendary, for it is the essence of life itself. The Alice of life, in the form of an emerald green stone. I know that you're intelligent, surely you know what it can do. If used fully, it can even revive the dead. And due to its worth, the Academy's not the only one who desires it, the Anti Alice Organization have been hunting for it for as long as we have, but we have determined its locations."

"And you want me to obtain it."

"That's why I say you're intelligent, Natsume."

Natsume got up and took the map Persona handed him. It was a map of a village far off from the Academy and the supposed locations of the said stone was marked on it carefully. Natsume memorized the map – he didn't like taking maps around.

"And one more thing, Natsume. Don't try to use the stone. You'll die. You're just not strong enough to summon the power within it. It would be very inconvenient if I were to lose another tool."

Natsume smirked and left the room.

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"Grandpa, I'm going up to the mountains for a bit to get some herbs for tomorrow's dinner."

"It's getting late, Mikan."

Mikan smiled warmly at the only family member she had. She leaned over and kissed her grandfather on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll be back, I just have to get some herbs today."

The old man stared at his beloved granddaughter's back as she left the house. Although still the same old air-headed girl she always was, she had matured into a beautiful young girl. Just like her mother.

He coughed. His old age was getting to him.

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His breathing was haggard and his movements less lithe. He was having a hard time. But he couldn't stop, he couldn't call it quits, he couldn't just drop the damn Alice stone and save his own life.

He had a mission and it wasn't just his life that depended on it. Ruka, his sister, everyone on the face of the Earth that mattered to him, and that voice at the edges of his mind kept replaying over and over again – he had to protect them. It was his duty, his responsibility. It was the only reason he stayed alive.

The Anti Alice Organization was pursuing him intently and showed no signs of giving up. Damn Alice stone. He cursed silently and clenched the emerald stone tighter. Parts of his uniform was scarlet from blood – some his own and some belonging to that of his pursuers. He had to end this chase once and for all, all the muscles in his body were already screaming in protest and if he didn't get rid of his pursuers – he'd die. And so would everyone he vowed to protect.

So he stopped in his tracks, turned back to face the Anti Alice Organization. He could hear them sneering, he could see their disdainful looks. He closed his eyes and summoned the fire within him, every last bit of it. However, unlike normal flames, his didn't require oxygen to combust, his required his life.

Soon, everything was ablaze. He heard the screams of shock and agony from his pursuers. He had bought himself time – time to hide and get the hell out of that place.

And he ran till he couldn't anymore. He collapsed and as he lay on the ground, his body limp, he heard the voice again in his mind. And then he allowed sleep to claim him.

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"Gosh, it's late, I better get home soon before Grandpa gets too worried and sends out the entire village search party." Mikan quickly gathered the herbs she had picked and put them in her basket. She decided to take the shortcut back home – a route she had discovered when she was 10, when she was looking for a place to cry when Hotaru had left the village.

She hardly ever used the shortcut unless it was absolutely necessary. It was a secluded route and she was pretty sure no one else knew about it, not even those in the village who often came up to the mountain to get herbs.

She heard haggard breaths and stopped. She was not alone. Someone else was using the shortcut. She looked around her, assuring herself that everything was fine as she did so. At the corner of her eyes, she spotted a body sprawled across the ground. Quickly shaking away disturbing thoughts, she approached the body.

It was that of a youth, about her age and he was wearing a mask resembling a black cat. The haggard breaths were his and he had lost a lot of blood. She did not know who he was but yet it was so painful to see the boy in that state. She traced the edges of his mask with her finger and pulled it off, revealing the boy's face. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and looked at her. She let out a small gasp as she looked into his cold crimson eyes – she saw fire within him, the strong sense of déjà vu hit her again and she felt like she knew him. Weariness began to claim him again and as his eyes closed, a few words escaped his lips.

"Save…save me…"

At that moment, Mikan knew she had to protect him. She didn't know how but she knew she could – it was as though she had power within her and she was unleashing it for his sake.

She would never allow anyone to hurt him anymore.

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"Where did the Black Cat go!?"

"I can't track him, he's just gone! It's strange, I was able to track him just now – that's how we found him when he obtained the Alice stone. It's…like something's nullifying my powers."

"Fuck, let's just get whoever's injured from the flames back to headquarters."

And so, the Anti Alice Organization retreated.

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_The two seperate paths have once again met - will they continue to stay intertwined or will they seperate again?_

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**A/N(once again):Thanks for the reviews, I'm sorry for abandoning the story for so long but seeing crimsoneye44's review made me wanna write again. **

**So, to answer your question, crimsoneyes44, the alternate reality is the one where everyone is five years older and where everyone can MOVE. Nakiri is in the alternate reality too. Everyone still exists in the original one, but time has come to a halt in the original reality and everyone there is frozen as it is except Nakiri. Therefore, most of the story will take place in the alternate reality. Hope you understand =D**

**Reviews are MUCH loved!**


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